DPS troopers uncover 81.6 pounds of marijuana during traffic stop

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers seized 81.6 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of $40,800, during a traffic stop on July 1.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers seized 81.6 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Friday.

At 11:42 p.m., a DPS trooper stopped a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac that was traveling north on U.S. Highway 59 near Loop 463 on suspicion of speeding, said DPS Trooper and Public Information Officer Gerald Bryant.

While interviewing the occupants of the sport utility vehicle, the trooper observed "numerous indicators of criminal activity," said Bryant.

After obtaining verbal consent to search the SUV, the trooper uncovered 22 bundles of marijuana, weighing 81.6 pounds, hidden in a spare tire and within the vehicle's rear wall.

The marijuana had a street value of $40,800, Bryant said.

Lawrence Garza, 49, of Brownsville, was arrested for suspicion of possessing a controlled substance between 50 and 2,000 pounds charge, which is a second degree felony.